Cheng, Yuning, Xu, Si-Mei, Takenaka, Konii et al. · Gene · 2023 · DOI
Researchers looked at a special type of genetic material called circular RNA (circRNA) in the blood of ME/CFS patients and healthy people, measuring it before and after exercise. They found that ME/CFS patients have a different pattern of circular RNAs compared to healthy controls, and unlike healthy people, ME/CFS patients didn't show the normal increase in these molecules after exercise. The study identified 14 specific circular RNAs that were present in ME/CFS patients but completely absent in healthy controls, suggesting these could potentially be used as markers to help diagnose the disease.
ME/CFS currently lacks objective diagnostic markers, leading to widespread underdiagnosis and diagnostic delays. This study identifies the first circRNA biomarker signature specific to ME/CFS, potentially enabling blood-based diagnosis and providing new insights into the disease's molecular mechanisms. If validated, these 14 circRNAs could transform clinical diagnosis and help researchers better understand what drives ME/CFS pathology.
This study does not prove that circRNAs cause ME/CFS symptoms or that any of these biomarkers are responsible for the disease; it only demonstrates association. The findings require validation in larger, independent patient populations before clinical implementation. Additionally, the study does not explain why circRNA patterns differ or what role they play in disease pathogenesis—only that they are present.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Cheng, Yuning, Xu, Si-Mei, Takenaka, Konii, Lindner, Grace, Curry-Hyde, Ashton, & Janitz, Michael (2023). A unique circular RNA expression pattern in the peripheral blood of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients.. Gene. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gene.2023.147568
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-cheng-2023-unique-circular,
author = {Cheng, Yuning and Xu, Si-Mei and Takenaka, Konii and Lindner, Grace and Curry-Hyde, Ashton and Janitz, Michael},
title = {A unique circular RNA expression pattern in the peripheral blood of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients.},
journal = {Gene},
year = {2023},
doi = {10.1016/j.gene.2023.147568},
note = {PubMed: 37328077},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/cheng-2023-unique-circular},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-26. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/cheng-2023-unique-circular
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